Start with the right complaint

If tracking says "delivered" but the package isn't there, contact the seller or retailer first. Ask for a delivery investigation, replacement, or refund review. The carrier comes next if someone needs to trace the delivery.

Report suspected theft to local police when the facts support it. A high-value loss, visible footage, or repeated theft can make the report more useful. Check insurance separately, after looking at the deductible and coverage.

Turns out, there isn't one nationwide package-theft complaint form or universal deadline. Seller terms, carrier rules, an insurance policy, a lease, and state law may control different pieces of the dispute. A delivery scan records an event; it doesn't finally prove that you received the box.

These steps are for U.S. consumers. Cross-border shipments may follow different customs, carrier, and insurance rules.

Confirm the delivery before calling it theft

Start with the ordinary explanations. Verify the address, delivery photo, timestamp, and driver note. Check the front desk, parcel room, locker, side entrance, garage, and nearby doors.

Ask a neighbor or building staff member. Someone may have accepted the package, or the carrier may have misdelivered it, hidden it, or held it for pickup.

Check twice. Then move on.

Save the records that show what happened:

• The order confirmation, receipt, tracking number, and delivery address.
• The carrier scan, photo, timestamp, and status history.
• The contents, purchase price, and replacement value.
• Original doorbell or security-camera files, plus still images if useful.
• Messages with the seller, carrier, landlord, building staff, or neighbors.
• Any refund, replacement, denial, or claim number.

Keep the original video file. Don't edit it before sharing it with police or a claims department.

Follow a paper trail

After checking the delivery location, start writing everything down. You can run these steps in parallel if a carrier or insurer has an earlier deadline.

1. Contact the seller or retailer. State that the order is marked delivered but wasn't received. Ask for a replacement, refund review, or delivery investigation, and request a case number. For a marketplace purchase, contact the third-party seller and use the platform's order-support process.
2. Ask the carrier to investigate. Give the tracking number, delivery address, delivery time, and any photo or video. Ask whether the shipper or label purchaser must open the formal claim.
3. Notify the building or property manager. Make the report in writing. Ask staff to check the package room, lockers, concierge log, and available camera footage.
4. File a local police report if theft is reasonably suspected. Repeated theft, a high-value item, visible footage, or an identifiable vehicle or person can make the report especially useful.
5. Review insurance before filing a claim. Check theft coverage, the deductible, documentation requirements, and notice deadline.
6. Record every response. Keep names, dates, case numbers, promised follow-ups, and written denials together.

Filing a police report for a stolen package

Use your local police department's non-emergency number or online reporting portal. The available options vary by department. Emergency services are for an active crime, immediate danger, or a suspect who is still present.

Give the officer a timeline rather than a theory: the delivery date and time, carrier, tracking number, package description, value, delivery location, time you noticed it missing, and nearby places you checked. Describe clothing, vehicles, or license-plate details only as they appear in the evidence.

You can say, "I need to report suspected theft of a package marked delivered at my address." Ask whether you can upload the video. Request the incident or report number.

Thing is, a police report creates an official record. It doesn't order a retailer, carrier, or insurer to pay. Don't confront a suspected neighbor or post accusations online; give the evidence to investigators instead.

USPS mail needs a separate reporting path

USPS and private carriers use different reporting routes. A parcel handled through USPS may raise federal mail-theft issues, while the local facts still determine which agency should receive the report.

Use the USPS Missing Mail search if the parcel may be delayed, misplaced, or incorrectly scanned. That search doesn't establish that theft occurred. The USPS OIG hotline is a separate route for suspected USPS fraud, waste, abuse, or employee misconduct.

Carrier, retailer, and marketplace claims

A seller's refund process is separate from a carrier claim. The seller may decide whether to replace or refund the order, while the carrier may handle a delivery investigation or shipping-insurance claim.

Use the current FedEx claims page, UPS claims page, or Amazon customer service. Don't rely on an old deadline copied from another shipment.

Claim deadlines can depend on the carrier, service, country, claim type, and the person who purchased the label. One package's deadline doesn't automatically apply to another.

Amazon Flex is part of the delivery network, not usually the consumer support path. Report a missing order through the order page or customer service instead of trying to contact a driver directly.

A carrier claim can run alongside a police report. One process doesn't replace the other.

Decide whether insurance is worth using

Renters and homeowners policies may cover theft of personal property. A delivered package isn't automatically covered.

Your policy may include a deductible, exclusions, coverage limits, or special proof requirements. Before opening a claim, ask the insurer:

• Is theft of a delivered package covered?
• What deductible applies?
• What proof of ownership, value, and theft is required?
• How soon must the claim be reported?
• Does the insurer want a police or carrier report?

Gather the receipt, tracking history, delivery photo, police case number, carrier case number, camera file, and seller response. Tell the insurer if the seller later issues a refund or replacement. You shouldn't seek payment twice for the same loss.

To be honest, a small loss below the deductible may produce no insurance payment. If the loss is close to that amount, ask how the claim will be recorded and whether it could affect future pricing.

If you paid by credit or debit card and the seller refuses to address the problem, ask the issuer about its dispute process and deadline. A card dispute isn't automatic theft coverage. Don't describe an authorized purchase as unauthorized.

Renters, landlords, and apartment buildings

Put the notice to your landlord or property manager in writing. Include the delivery date, location, tracking number, and a request to preserve relevant camera footage or access records before they are overwritten.

A landlord doesn't automatically owe reimbursement for a stolen package. Responsibility may depend on the lease, a paid concierge or package service, a promise to secure deliveries, control of the area, and state negligence law.

Building rules and HOA policies may say where deliveries should be left or whether lockers are required. They don't, by themselves, guarantee that the building will pay for a missing parcel. Ask for the written policy and keep the response.

If management ignores a service promised in the lease, a local tenant-rights organization or legal-aid office can help assess the issue. Keep the dispute factual.

State law and small claims

State theft classifications and charging thresholds vary. Value may matter, but so can the delivery method, the conduct involved, prior offenses, and any package-specific statute. There is no single national dollar threshold for deciding whether package theft is a misdemeanor or felony.

A criminal statute of limitations is separate from a carrier or insurance deadline. Don't wait for the longest possible legal period; prompt reporting gives police, sellers, and carriers a better chance to preserve records.

Small claims court may make sense when you can identify the defendant and show a legal basis for payment. Before filing, check your state's dollar limit, filing fee, service rules, and any contract terms requiring a carrier claim, arbitration, or another dispute process.

A video clip alone may not identify a defendant or prove who owns the loss. Courts usually need a coherent timeline, proof of value, and evidence connecting the defendant to the claimed damage. High-value disputes, threats, or complicated lease issues may justify advice from a lawyer or legal-aid service.

Questions that come up

Do I need a police report to get a refund?

Not always. A retailer may resolve a delivery complaint without one, while an insurer or carrier may request it. Filing makes sense when theft is clear, the loss is significant, or footage may help identify the person involved.

Should I contact the carrier or retailer first?

Usually, start with the retailer. It controls the order and refund process. Contact the carrier too when the seller asks for a trace or the delivery appears misdirected.

What if the tracking page says delivered?

Treat the scan as a lead. Check nearby locations, ask building staff or neighbors, and report a possible misdelivery if the photo or location doesn't match your address.

Who files the carrier claim?

It depends on the service and label. The seller or sender may need to file, especially when that party bought the label or shipping insurance. Ask the carrier and seller before submitting duplicate claims.

Can I sue the person who took the package?

Only if you can identify the person and prove the required legal elements. A police report doesn't automatically create a civil case, and suing an unknown thief is rarely practical.

This is general information for U.S. consumers, not legal advice. State law, contracts, and current company policies can change the result.

Put the timeline, tracking screenshot, receipt, video, and case numbers in one folder. Send the seller a concise written account, then follow the exact carrier or insurer deadline shown in its current policy.